Hi
by Thalia Marie Grace
Summary: Max shrugged. "My mother used to say that hi was such a short, simple word, but it was how lo—friendship started," she quickly recovered, trying not to blush. She'd almost said love. Apparently, Fang heard it too. "You almost said love," he accused.
1. 1

**Okay, this Max Ride story I am NOT deleting. I actually have a lot of this already typed out, so.**

**Fax for sure, Eggy probably . . . Any other couples you want? I know there'll probably be DylanxMax . . . **

* * *

From what she could see, he did not talk much.

For the past two weeks, his first two weeks at their school, he was all mute—even when a teacher talked to him. He would just stare up at the teacher, no real expression on his face. Max was surprised that he didn't have six referrals already. Just for his clothing.

Black shirt, baggy black jeans, chain hanging down the side, black sweatshirt—everything black on him. Her best friend mistook him as a gang leader, how cute.

But no, no. He wasn't a gang leader as far as Max could see. He lived in her neighbourhood, just across the lake. He had a brother his age, a brother that Max knew—James Walker, a.k.a. Iggy. Blind, pale blue eyes, blonde hair, pale skin. Max's best friend. From what Iggy had told her, their parents were separated—Iggy lived with their mom, Fang with their dad. Maybe something had happened to their dad, Max did not know—Iggy never talked about his father.

Was he angry at something? Did he not want to be at this school? During lunch, Fang sat with Iggy, Max, Nudge, Sam, Lissa, and Dylan, but he never talked, never ate. What was on his freaking mind all the time?

But as mute as he was, Max still tried to talk to him. Usually it didn't work; he'd only stare at her. She'd stare back. Then the side of his mouth would quirk up in what seemed like a smile, and Max knew that maybe, just _maybe_, he wasn't really a robot.

Exactly a month after he came, pretty much the anniversary (they even threw a party at Max's house in his honour), he finally said something since he'd gotten there: "Thank you."

Max was surprised at his voice. It was almost . . . dark, quiet. Just like him. She'd assumed his voice was maybe rough, gravelly. But it flowed well with his personality, and she kind of liked it.

The next day, finally, she got in some talking to him. They rearranged seats in Social Studies and he sat directly next to her, Iggy and Nudge in front of them.

"Hi," she said lamely, looking down at her papers, legs crossed underneath the grey desk screen. Max flipped her papers once, twice, trying to ease the tension. Was Fang thinking that she was some stupid embarrassing girl? Nah, would he really think that of his brother's best friend?

Yes.

But when she looked over at the dark boy, he was actually smiling. His eyes alight with amusement, his mouth fully turned up in a smile. A low chuckle was escaping his lips, and Max frowned at him.

"What?" she demanded, feeling shocked, hurt, and angry. _He did think she was stupid. _

His eyebrows rose at her. "One whole month I've been here," he said. "And finally, just finally, you say, 'hi'?"

Max shrugged. "My mother used to say that hi was such a short, simple word, but it was how lo—friendship started," she quickly recovered, trying not to blush. _She'd almost said love._

Apparently, Fang heard it too. "You almost said love," he accused.

"Did not!" said Max hotly.

"You said, and I quote, 'but it was how lo—friendship started'." Fang pointed out, smirking a little bit.

Now he talks, and he's quite annoying. Max preferred it when he _didn't _speak at all. "You're annoying," she said, snorting.

Then he leaned closer to her, and she felt his breath on hers. Fang's eyes searched hers for agonizing minutes before saying, "You almost said love."

She opened her mouth to say something, eyes probably blazing with annoyance, when the bell rang, and Fang was gone within the instant.

Max sighed and gathered her things slowly, thinking about why her brain was so fuzzy when he was so close, why he made her feel so . . . strange. Fang made her feel something new, for once. But then again, there were so many emotions that she hadn't felt before.

_You almost said love._

Was _that _was it was? Oh, God, no. She couldn't love a boy so fast, after having only a five minute conversation with the boy.

A crush, maybe, but Fang was not very . . . likeable in that way. In Max's opinion. But God, Lissa would not stop going on about him.

"I don't know why. He hasn't talked to anyone yet, but he's just so . . . breathtaking," Lissa sighed and looked over at Max and Nudge. "You know?"

_He's talked to me_. "Not really," said Max, shrugging a bit. "I've never had a crush on anyone, so."

Nudge gasped in Max's direction, her eyes widenening. "Max, you can't be saying so! What about Dylan?"

Max made a face. "God, Mr. Perfect? No. He's just so . . . Justin Bieber-esque, don't you think?"

"You called him Mr. Perfect," said Nudge pointedly.

Max huffed; she'd had enough of all these people pointing things to her. Angrily, she stood up. "Jeezum, what's with everyone pointing things out to me? Look, I don't like Dylan. I don't like Sam, I don't like Iggy, and I sure as hell do not like Fang. Okay?"

Instead of firing back, Nudge only sighed. "Okay," she said, but Max could tell she didn't really believe her.

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**Well, that's the first chapter! I hope you like it . . .**

**Would you be so kind to review for me? :)**


	2. 2

**I'm so happy you guys like this story! :) It's my first (kept) Maximum Ride story, and I really like it. **

**Angel and Gaz in this chapter! No Fax, sorry . . . The chapter is really short, only because it's more of a family chapter, and I wanted to put the dinner in next chapter. **

**By the way, if you didn't forget: Max, Angel, Gazzy, and Ella's last name is _Ride_, because Jeb's last name is Ride instead of Batchelder. **

* * *

The moment Max got home from school, her younger sister Angel pounced on her.

Angel, unlike Max, had curly blonde hair and wide blue eyes. She was bubbly, imaginative, and very entertaining. Max, if she had to pick a favourite, would pick Angel. She was six years old just barely, and she made such a big deal about being six. Max thought it was just so dang _adorable _sometimes.

Today Angel had her usual smile on her face. She'd just started kindergarten this term, and it made Angel so happy to actually be in school. Every day Max would come home and Angel and she would sit at the table while Max made snacks. Angel would tell Max everything that happened at school.

But today, Max had to go pick up her brother, Gazzy; eight years old, same blonde hair like Angel, and round blue eyes that might be even more adorable than Angel's. Of course, those sapphire orbs were usually full of mischief. He and Iggy Walker got along very well.

"You wanna come with me today?" asked Max, smoothening Angel's bouncy curls down. "Mom and Ella will be back later tonight."

Angel grinned up at her oldest sister. "Could I?"

Max laughed quietly and started walking outside. Gazzy was down the street at his friend's house, as he was every Wednesday. Fridays his friend would come to their house, because Max's mom had Fridays off.

Dr. Valencia Martinez, single mother of four. Max's mother and most favourite person in the world. Hispanic. Beautiful. Independent.

Max and her younger sister, Ella, looked like Dr. Martinez the most. Ella had long, chocolate, smooth hair and chocolate eyes. Her skin was the same skin tone as Dr. Martinez's.

Max was a mixture between everyone, pretty much—brown way hair with natural blonde streaks, and eyes like chocolate. Her skin was fairly . . . different, yes, but Max just passed it off as a tan usually.

The four kids' father, Jeb Ride, had died one month ago. Angel was managing very well for her age, as was Gazzy; but Ella was fourteen and Max was sixteen; they knew their father the longest.

"Gazzy, come on!" called Max as she walked around to the backyard. Her little mischievous brother looked up at her with adorable azure orbs and a grin.

"Coming, Max!" he yelled as he jogged over to Max and Angel. He said his goodbyes to his friend and then left with his sisters.

"I had a lot of fun today," said Gazzy excitedly. "We played war and I won!"

Max smiled at her brother. "Sounds fun, Gaz," she said. "Now, don't you two forget; the Walkers are coming over tonight."

Gazzy immediately perked up again. "Iggy's coming?" he asked.

Max chuckled. "Yeah, Iggy's coming," she said with a grin.

Gazzy fist-pumped the air in excitement. "Yes!" he yelled triumphantly, and his grin got wider (if possible).

After her previous grin faded, Max couldn't help but grinning. Gazzy was just so—so dang _adorable _sometimes! How could he pull that off? It was—

"Safety!" yelled Gazzy, and he ran ahead of his sisters.

Just in time for one of his deadly occurrences to stink.


	3. 3

**This chapter's a little bit longer. :) I lost my voice, though. It sucks. I can't sing to One Direction. D:**

**Anyways, Fax in this chapter! And Fax angst . . . Well, you better like it! Lol.**

**Disclaimer: Would I be on this website if I was JP? DO I WRITE LIKE HIM!**

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The doorbell rang, its sounds echoing throughout the whole house, and Max screamed, "I'll get it!" knowing that it was the Walkers: Anne, Iggy, and Fang.

When she opened the door, a tall woman smiled at her. "Max, how are you?" she asked.

Max grinned at Anne Walker and stepped aside to let her mother's best friend through. Max gave Iggy a brief hello hug (before he went off to find Gazzy and Ella) and raised her eyebrows at Fang.

"Glad to know you joined the party," she said tersely. "But just to warn you, this is lively. Just letting you know—so your 'style' doesn't get cramped."

"Ha, ha, Max. Very funny," Fang clapped his hands in fake appreciation. "You're a real comedian."

Max opened her mouth to say something when Angel walked up, her teddy bear Celeste in her left hand. "Who's this?" she asked, and Max remembered that Angel only knew Iggy, not Fang.

"Angel, this is Fang, Iggy's brother. Fang, this is Angel, my sister." Max looked down at her sister, who was grinning up at Fang with those wide cobalt eyes.

"Hi!" said Angel happily, her grin large.

To Max's utter surprise, Fang grinned down at the little girl and said, "Hi."

"I'm gonna go find Gazzy," Angel decided, looking up at Max. Then she skipped off, Celeste the teddy bear still in her grasp.

Max raised her eyebrows at Fang. "You talked earlier to her," she observed.

He smiled widely, showing all of his white teeth, and he said, "She talked to me earlier."

"Max!" yelled Dr. Martinez, and she grinned at her oldest daughter. "Why don't you and Fang go take a walk outside? Maybe find Nudge or Brigid or someone?"

"Sure, Mom!" said Max, faking a smile at the name of Brigid Dwyer. "We'll be back in time for supper!"

But as soon as she shut the door behind her and the dark boy beside her, the smile turned into a scowl.

"What's got Maxie's knickers in a twist?" asked Fang teasingly.

Max glared at him. "Brigid Dwyer," she began. "Ginger, our age, goes to a really preppy school upstate. She's off this time of year. I hate her. Stole my bo—my friend freshman year." Why didn't she say boyfriend? It was just Fang.

He smirked. "Sounds like she's one helluva girl, yes?"

"Oh, yeah." said Max, walking through the tall grass. "C'mon—Dylan's house is down this way, I think. You talk to Dylan yet?"

Fang's eyebrows narrowed. "Oh, yeah. Him I've talked to."

"What'd Mr. Perfect do?" Max groaned, staring at stray pebbles on the road.

The narrowed eyebrows arched upwards. "Mr. Perfect?" he repeated slowly. "Why do you call him Mr. Perfect?"

"Have you seen the boy? He looks freaking perfect. Except for the time in fifth grade when he fell off the monkey-bars and had to get stitches. He looked awful for weeks." Max wrinkled her nose at the memory. "Anyways—Dylan's house is right there, next to his is Nudge and Sam's house—Nudge is adopted, mind you—and then next to their house is Lissa's house." Max grinned at Fang. "Lissa's got a crush on you. You know that, right?"

He looked genuinely shocked. "Well, now I do." he said, his eyebrows still upturned.

"Do you want to go hang out with anybody?" asked Max quietly, looking at the dark boy beside her although his eyes were roaming everywhere but at her.

"No," he said.

So the two walked around for about an hour more, knowing that Max's mom usually took that long, and Max pointed out a few hiding spots she and Iggy had looked at before—the shack by the lake was her favourite. Max was surprised at Iggy. In his condition, his disability, he could feel and hear and sense things more than any person who could see.

"When Ig and I were kids," said Max, her mouth hurting from smiling so much at the memories. "We'd do that trust exercise thing, except Iggy would lead me. I'd keep my eyes closed. It was so much fun."

There was that avoidance again—Fang looked anywhere but at Max.

"Yo," she said. "You okay? You seem . . . off, somehow."

Then he looked at her. "It just seems like you have a lot more memories with my brother than I do," he said quietly. "I spent my whole life with my father halfway across the country, only knowing I had a brother because of Skype. Then my father died, and after six months of living with my aunt I moved here. That's why I'm like—like this," he added, gesturing to his black ensemble. "Because of my father. He was my favourite person in the world beside Iggy."

A sharp pain hit Max's chest, reminding her of her own father. "I'm sorry, Fang. Iggy told me a bit about your father and I knew that you two were really close, and losing him must've been really hard on you, and—" but Max stopped, feeling her own throat close up. Tears started to form in her eyes as a picture of her family swarmed before her eyes in her mind. A week before her father died.

"Stop, Max. Just stop talking." Fang looked out across the water.

"Fang, I'm sure he's happy wherever he is—"

She was too late to realize his hands were circled into fists. "Shut up!" he finally screamed, taking Max by surprise. "Shut _up! _You don't know what it's like, Max! You don't know what it's like to lose a father! You don't know what it's like to have an incomplete family!"

Then she realized another thing—Anne Walker didn't tell Fang about her father, nor did Iggy. Of course, she made all of her friends swear never to talk about it ever. Not even when she wasn't there.

Tears welled up in her eyes and started to fall as she realized that her father really _was _dead, and that she wouldn't see him for a long, long time. Anger squashed the hurt as Fang accused her of having a perfect family with a mother and a father.

"I lost my father six months ago, Max!" Fang kept screaming as Max's anger built. "And let me tell you, it still freaking hurts! It—"

Then she lost it. "You want me to shut up?" she demanded. "Fine! I'll shut up after I tell you this: my father is dead! He died a month ago from a brain tumour that we knew about for six months!"

Fang's gaze softened, and his mouth flapped open.

"He was my favourite person, too—and still is! I loved him with all my heart, and finally realizing that my dad is dead, well . . . damn, it hurts! Don't go accusing people, Fang, because I swear to God, that will get you nowhere in life!" Max wiped at her face, feeling the tears streak down her face. Her eyes narrowed at the dark boy in front of her, but she didn't say anything. Instead she ran from where he was, ran back to her home, inside, and straight up to her room—before anyone could see her tear-streaked face.

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**Fang. Is. A. Douche. **

**Why did I make him like that? Eh. It goes with the story . . .**

**Anyways, I really hope you liked it! Next update tomorrow! xx**

**Over-used-word-of-the-day: Anyways.**

**Review!**


	4. 4

**I realized it'll be a miracle when these chapters are longer. Sorry . . .**

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When Max didn't come down for supper, Ella was worried.

"Mom, can't I please just go and check on her—" she began, but her mom shot her a glance, so she fell silent.

Something was up with Max, and Ella wanted to know what it was.

Across the table, Fang Walker was looking more sour-puss than usual, his arms folded across his chest, eyes hollow. He looked almost upset with himself, or something.

Angel looked at Ella with heartbreaking blue eyes, and Ella knew that it pained Angel that Max wasn't coming down—she knew that something was hurting Max on the inside.

They ate and enjoyed each other's presence, but Iggy seemed tense. He looked around the table uselessly, seeing as he was blind, but his eyes locked right on Ella's and she felt herself blush, so she looked down at her food and busied herself.

"Fang?" asked Angel, looking at the boy with innocence in her orbs. "Aren't you going to eat?"

He muttered a barely comprehendible, "Not hungry."

Iggy sighed next to his brother.

"Why isn't Max with us?" asked Gazzy. "Usually she's here."

Fang looked down. "She, uh, had a little meltdown while we were walking. Max would prefer to be alone right now."

Angel looked at him again. "Did you say something? She gets easily offended, but—"

"No, I didn't say anything!" snapped Fang angrily, and the whole table went silent.

Ella's eyes followed between Fang to Angel to Fang's mom to her own mother. Everyone's eyes were either on Fang or staring down at their plates.

Nobody questioned what happened while the two were out—sound resumed quickly and they all finished eating. Ella helped her mother with the dishes and was saying goodbye to the Walkers at the door when Fang turned to her.

"Ella," he said, so low that she could barely hear him. "Tell Max I'm sorry, okay?" and then he was gone, gone so quick Ella had no chance to catch up with him and ask him what he meant.

That night, Ella tucked Gazzy and Angel in instead of Max. She kissed them both on the head (and Celeste), left their room, and walked into Max's room, where she found her sister sitting cross-legged on her bed with a scrapbook, her eyes red and bloodshot.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened today?" asked Ella quietly, sitting beside her sister. The pictures in the scrapbook were of Dad.

Max sniffled and shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it ever again," she whispered.

"That's perfectly okay," said Ella. She pointed to a picture. "That one's my favourite," she remarked. "You and I making funny faces at the camera."

Max chuckled weakly. "Yeah," she said, "good times."

Ella looked at Max. "You know Fang really wants to be your friend, right?" she asked. "He asked me to tell you that he was sorry."

Max shook her head. "I know he's sorry," she said. "But I'm not forgiving him."

"You should," mused Ella, looking out the window, seeing the Walkers' house over the lake, silhouetted by the sunset. "He really cares about you."

And before her sister could reply, Ella rose off the bed and walked to her own bedroom, collapsing onto her bed and falling asleep immediately.

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**Yeah . . . xD**

**Well, would you be EVER so kind to review!  
**

**Fly on!**


	5. 5

**New chapter! :) Lol.**

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Monday morning, Max groaned and got up, stumbling out of her comfy bed and opening her blinds.

Thursday and Friday she had not gone to school in pure fear of seeing Nicolas "Fang" Walker.

But now here is Ella Ride standing right in front of her older sister, waving her arms like a maniac. "Maxie!" she screamed. "Time to get up for school!"

Max groaned aloud; she didn't want to get up to face Fang.

"Max," said Ella more gently. "I know you're pissed off at him, and how he's going to bombard you with apologies. But you really need to consider that Fang is one of your best friends, right?"

Max shrugged wordlessly.

"You know he and Iggy are your best friends, Max," said Ella, walking to her sister's closet and pulling out Max's outfit. "Come on!"

"Juniour year is always the hardest," Max complained, rolling out of bed and taking the clothes Ella held out for her.

"Yeah, whatever. Go get dressed," said Ella, pouncing down the stairs.

Twenty minutes later Max was downstairs, dressed in white and blue ripped jeans, a red camisole, an American-flag white fitted tee, a navy sweatshirt, and black hi-tops. Around her neck was a gold and diamond _breathe _necklace that her father had given to Max on her thirteenth birthday.

Nudge, who was busy shoving her face in with pancakes, looked up and her jaw almost dropped.

"Wow, Max," said Nudge (who came early this morning), a grin on her face. "Now all you need is a hat."

Angel came up behind Max and placed a white knitted yarn beanie on her head, pulling strands of her light brown hair out here and there to make it look good. "There," she said happily. "Perfect."

The toaster popped and five minutes later, Ella handed Max a toasted peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. "You guys don't wanna be late," warned Ella. "Bus gets here in five minutes."

Max laughed. "Jeezum, Ells," she said grabbing her bag. "You sound like Mom."

Flushing, Ella replied, "Shut up and go outside."

So she did, but the bus came sooner than Max expected.

She, Dylan, Lissa, Nudge, and Sam, and Ella all waited at the bus stop (Ella was a freshman) for about two minutes when the bus came.

"That was early," said Dylan, quipping the Staples button. Max suppressed a laugh as she got onto the bus and sat behind Nudge and Sam. Ella sat up front next to her friends, Dylan and Lissa sat together, and Max sat alone, waiting for Iggy (as usual).

But when they reached Iggy's stop, Fang took Iggy's place next to Max.

She groaned.

"I know you don't want to talk to me," said Fang minutes later, just before the dismissal bell at school rang, his beautiful voice so low that only she could hear it. "So I won't push you. Last time I'm sayin' it, Ride: I'm sorry."

Then the bell rang and he glided off the bus with such grace.

"Yo, Max, come on," said Iggy, putting his hand on Max's shoulder. "You're gonna be late for first hour."

"I sit next to your stupid brother in first hour," said Max angrily, standing in front of Iggy and feeling his finger slide into one of her beltloops, keeping track of his best friend at all times. "I can afford to miss one class."

"No, you can't," said Iggy. "Max, you're failing that class and the year's almost over. You can't afford to miss it, okay?"

Max sighed. "Fine," she muttered as they reached their lockers. "For you, not your stupid brother."

But Iggy only grinned and saluted his best friend. "Aye, aye, ma'am!" he said in a cheesy accent, and Max burst into laughter.

* * *

**So SORRY it's short! These were supposed to be two single chapters, but I combined 'em. :)**

**Hate Math. D:**

**Go check out Moments for me! It's one of my stories! Max Ride! :)**

**Off to piano now.. **

**Fly on!**


	6. 6

**Yay, next chapter! There's Fax in this one! :) I think..**

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The first bell rang, but Max was already there, sitting next to an empty seat.

Fang would be here any moment, and then she'd been in trouble.

But the second bell rang, then the third, and finally it was time for class—Fang still hadn't shown up. Was something wrong?

But he didn't show up at all during first hour. The passing period came, the hallways as busy as usual. Max walked quietly along the wall of the hallway down to her next class.

Then came the gunshot, and a scream.

Max froze. She _had _to find Iggy, until her phone buzzed in her pocket. Ella letting Max know she'd found Iggy.

Good, at least he was safe.

None of her other friends were in this hallway during second hour; they all had physical education. Halfway across the school.

_Unless they'd already gotten to them_.

Max bravely looked around the corner, heart pounding, when she saw who was dead.

J.J., short for Jennifer Joy. Max and she had been good friends. Max's hazel eyes raked her friend's lifeless body, and then looked at the person with the gun.

It was Omega.

Tawny hair that fell over his green eyes was stuck to his forehead. His eyes looked murderous. He'd always been teased at school. Max assumed it was because of his name, Omega.

But then Omega's eyes fell on Max's small head, peeking out from the corner, and he aimed the gun.

People cleared the ways, and Max hid behind the wall as the bullet whistled straight past her.

Close shot.

Max ran.

She ran as fast as she could. _Omega would kill her when he caught her. _She had to keep running, maybe get outside, or into the freshman center where she'd be blended in. Or a locked classroom. Or the gym. She was a fairly fast runner.

Another gunshot, another scream. Max's heart pounded loudly in her chest. It could have been one of her friends.

As she turned the next corner, she saw him. The boy with the black ensemble, Nicolas "Fang" Walker.

"Run!" she screamed at him frantically, grabbing his wrist and pulling him with her. She didn't want him to be killed.

But Fang stood there, puzzled, just as Omega turned the corner, too, and aimed the gun at Max with a sickening grin.

What happened next was in a blur.

The bullet shot, and Max shut her eyes so she wouldn't see what happened. Then there was a groan, a loud _snap_, and a scream.

Then Dylan saying, "Max, open your eyes."

Max's eyelids fluttered open. Dylan and Sam had Omega's arms behind his back as Lissa ran to get the nearest teacher. Nudge was calling 911.

"How'd you all get here so fast?" she managed.

Sam shrugged. "Heard the shot, ran. The teachers don't know we're gone, and I don't think they'll care."

"Max," said Dylan calmly. "Look down."

Max's eyes looked down slowly, in fear. Then she saw it.

The blood seeping out of Fang's stomach.

_No._

"Fang!" she screamed, dropping to her knees, her books thrown against the wall, forgotten. "No, please, not Fang, I swear to God, please . . ."

Around the corner came Ella and Iggy, both of their faces sad.

"Heard the scream," said Ella quietly. "Your scream."

Iggy dropped to his knees beside Max. "He's not dead, is he?" Iggy's fingers touched Fang's neck. "Not dead," he said, and his blind eyes leaked water.

"He can't be dead, he just can't die," Max sobbed, wiping her face. Fang's blood was on her hands, and when she wiped her face, she left streaks of red.

And if Fang died, she would never wash those streaks of red. It would be her memory of him.

* * *

**Eh, sorry if it's a little short, but . . . **

**IT MUST BE.**

**Okay, no, it doesn't have to be, but I liked it at ending it here. I don't know how many more chapters are pre-written, so. **

**OFF TO UPDATE OTHERS. AND CHECK OUT THE POLL ON MY PROFILE!**


	7. 7

**Well, he got shot! Here's the next chapter!**

**lmao, so optimistic.**

* * *

_Beep. Beep._

Max looked up, staring into the unconscious boy's closed eyes. It was effortless to wish they would just pop open and sparkle when they looked at her.

_He took a bullet for her._

It took her a while to realize that when it happened; he had huge blood loss. She donated all she could, two pints; Iggy donated one. It was strange for them to all have the same blood type, but Fang's blood type was very, _very _rare—Iggy having it was no shock, but Max's blood being the same was just surprising.

The doctor informed Max and Fang's family that they didn't know when he would wake up—the surgery had already been performed, the bullet removed—but the date that he would actually wake up was unknown, and Max was worrying out of her mind.

Fang's family had left an hour ago; Max stayed sitting by Fang's side, watching his every movement carefully, estimating when he would wake up.

And when she estimated, he never did.

Lissa had been in here, crying over his body (and thank the Lord she left); Max was surprised she didn't tell Max it was her fault. But Max and Lissa are pretty good friends, as are their parents, so Max wasn't surprised she didn't.

Angel, Gazzy, and Ella had been in here, too; Angel sat next to Max, holding her hand, staring curiously at Fang. She had looked up at Max and said, "Why did he save you?"

Max had shrugged. "He's my friend," was her reply.

"He loves you," Angel persisted. "He really loves you, Max."

Then Angel, Gazzy, and Ella left, leaving Max utterly surprised.

Fang didn't love her. Did he?

Maybe. Max didn't know.

But staring at the unconscious, possibly on deathbed boy in front of her, something changed. And she didn't know what.

"Fang," said Max, her voice breaking. "Just live, okay? Live and be okay." And without warning, she pressed her lips to his. Was it just her imagination, or did his heartbeat quicken? And was that a smile forming on his face? Her brain must be messing with her. Mortification probably heated her face; she blushed.

Nobody was in the room, though; Max quickly regained her composure and sat there, staring at Fang. It was strange seeing him in something other than black. _He needed a haircut_, she realized. Eh, she'd see if she could chop it with scissors later.

Someone knocked on the door; Max turned to see the doctor. "Er," he said, obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry to interrupt, miss, but the visitation hours are over in a few minutes, and . . ."

"Oh," said Max stupidly. "Oh, yes, of course. Just call if anything happens, yeah?"

"That's our job, miss," he said, and Max shut the door behind her.

Ella, Angel, and Gazzy stood up; had they been out there the whole time, waiting for her? They looked at her with innocent and worried eyes, wanting to know if Fang was okay.

"Yeah, he's fine," said Max, and she bit her lip to keep from adding _for now._

"Can we go home?" asked Angel, rubbing her blue eyes. "Ella wouldn't let us leave until you came out."

Max glared at Ella. "I told you guys to go home with the Walkers."

Shrugging, Ella replied, "You can drive, can't you?"

* * *

**Endd!**

**Maybe new chappie tomorrow, I don't know.. I might be out tomorrow, all day, so.**

**Review, please! For Fang's health! And check out the poll on my profile!**


	8. 8

**Yay, new chapter! Lol.**

* * *

Pain. Strong, hard, pain. Seeping through his veins. Oh, _God_. What _happened _to him?

"Hey, you awake?" said a voice above him, and his eyes fluttered open to see clear blue eyes staring above him. Blue eyes—that belonged to his brother, Iggy. "Max just left."

Fang let out a groan. "Body hurts," he managed. "Wha' happened?"

"You don't remember?" the blind boy smacked his forehead. "Jeez, the boy doesn't remember actually _living _apart of Grenade!"

"Wha'?"

Iggy rolled his eyes and said, "Omega was gonna shoot Max. You jumped in front of her."

It came back crashing to him now; his last-minute crazy decision to jump in front of Maximum Ride in pure desperation of her _not _dying.

"Dude, if you hadn't jumped in front of her . . ." Iggy's throat seemed choked. "Max woulda been shot in the heart, man. She woulda died."

"You're not making me feel better, if that's what you're trying to do," Fang grumbled angrily.

Iggy held up his hands. "I'm not, man. I'm just informing you on what happened."

"I can't believe I jumped _in front _of her."

"Not to mention she's mad at you for yelling at her, too!" Iggy chimed in.

Fang shot a pointless glare at Iggy. "Shut it," he muttered. "I just want things to be right again."

"Just because you love her doesn't mean she loves you back!" said Iggy helpfully, and he patted his brother's arm. "Well, I gotta go. Promised Max I'd hang with her today."

"Can't she come here?"

"No." Iggy said firmly. "Sorry, man. Max'll be back tomorrow, she's been here every day anyways. The nurse's gonna sedate you after I leave, so—"

But Fang's eyes slid shut, and he fell asleep once more.

Iggy heard his brother's breathing slow down—Fang was asleep. Iggy stood up, walked a few feet, and reached out to find the doorknob. He opened it easily and walked out.

"Was he awake?" asked a voice, and Iggy heard Max stand up from the chair.

"Yeah, but he just fell asleep again." Iggy said, shuddering. "I hate the smell of hospitals."

Max sighed and Iggy felt her arm loop through his. "Come on," she said. "Mom wants us both over for dinner, and I promised her we wouldn't be late."

As the two of them walked, Iggy remarked, "You know Fang took that bullet for you because he cares, right?"

Max sighed again. "I know," she said slowly. "And I feel real bad."

"You should," Iggy said. When he felt her arm leave his, he knew she was going to smack him. "Kidding!" he yelled.

"How did you—,"

"You used the arm that was looped in mine," said Iggy simply. "It's not like I'm faking my blindness."

"Then I'd hate you for life," said Max, grinning.

Moments of silence passed. "You like my brother?" Iggy asked suddenly.

He felt her shoulders shrug. "Yeah, he's cool."

Opening the door to the car and sliding in the passenger seat, Iggy corrected himself: "Do you _love _my brother? That way?"

"Of course not."

Iggy rolled his eyes. "Okay, Max. Just keep in mind that one day you _will _be my sister."

The car started and started moving forward; Iggy drummed his fingers on his thigh as Max scoffed. "Yes, sure, okay."

But in his heart, Iggy knew that she knew it was true.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short! But I figured to end it here . . . I'll make up for it with Fax in the next chapter!**


	9. 9

**Yay! New chapter! Sorry, it's short, and there's no Fax like I promised, but there is Fax next chapter, I think. I promise you!**

* * *

School on Tuesday.

School on Wednesday.

School on Thursday.

School on Friday.

Hang-out with Angel, Nudge, Ella, Gazzy, Iggy, and Fang at the Walkers' house on Friday night whilst the two moms go away for the weekend.

Max sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair. _Tuesday mornings are always the worst_, she thought to herself as she slipped on a pair of skinny jeans. Out of her closet she grabbed a blue-and-white striped shirt with quarter-length sleeves, and threw on a faded American Flag tank top over that.

_Ella did not. _thought Max, glaring at the wing earrings, tan leather clasp bracelet, and love necklace that was near her door. Ella was always one to give Max jewelry—even when she didn't want it.

Max quickly put it on and swung her blue-acid-wash backpack over her shoulder, pounding down the stairs.

"Mom left this morning at, like, three," said Ella, placing two pancakes on a plate in front of Max. "Why you were not in charge, I do not know."

"Thanks, Ells," said Max gratefully, smiling at her younger sister and popping a pancake bite into her mouth.

"Sneaker heels!" Ella called as Max went over to grab her shoes.

Max snorted. "You know everything!" she called. "Gotta go! Bus's coming!"

"Run!" screamed Ella, and Max could hear her giggling.

Rolling her eyes, Max flung the front door open—Angel was sick, so Ella stayed home. That was one worry Max could check off the list.

At the bus stop, Iggy greeted Max with a Spock hand. "Fangles might be at school today," he said the moment she opened her mouth to speak. "They released him at like one this morning or something."

"He okay?" Max asked.

"Emo boy's fine," said someone dismissively behind Max, and she turned to see Sam, Lissa, and Dylan walking their way.

"Nudge's sick, by the way," Sam piped up.

But Max was glaring at Dylan. "What do you mean, '_emo boy'_?" she demanded. "Fang's not emo!"

"Well, he sure looks the part," said Dylan, shielding his eyes from the sun. "Jeezum, it's bright out today."

Lissa flashed a smile at Max to get her off topic. "Guess what, Max?" she asked happily. "I think I'm gonna ask Fang out when he comes back!"

_No_—Max's stomach was _not _feeling queasy. She did _not _have feelings for Fang. Max smiled at Lissa encouragingly, feeling too weird to say anything.

"Bus's here," said Iggy, just as the school bus turned the corner.

Why did Max feel this way? It couldn't be jealousy. Max _didn't _like Fang that way.

. . . Except for the kiss.

"Crap," moaned Max, and her friends turned to her, alarmed. "Sorry, just realized I didn't do the Social Studies, that's all."

"Nice," said Sam, rolling his eyes. "Usually you do homework."

"I dunno, Sam—maybe the fact that my best friend was in the _hospital _because he took a _bullet _for me coulda distracted me!" Max folded her arms against her chest and slumped in her seat next to Iggy, whose fingers brushed a beltloop of her jeans faintly.

"It's okay," he said soothingly in her ear, so low that only she could hear. "He's fine now, Max."

"He wasn't before," she shot back.

Then Iggy smirked, his eyes straight past Max. "I told you that you loved him."

Max was in too much shock to speak for the rest of the bus ride.

* * *

**Kk, so maybe a little bit of Fax, kinda one-sided. Or third-wheeled, because Iggy's mostly the speaker . . .**

**Whatever. **

**REVIEW!**


	10. 10

**Longer chapter for 22 reviews! xx**

* * *

First period, second period.

No Fang, yet. Max tapped her fingers on her desk, wondering if he could come. Iggy said he _might_, not he _would._

She wished he would.

The third period bell rang, and Max felt antsy. Would he really come?

Just as fourth period was halfway through, and her least favourite teacher was just about to yell at her for not paying attention, the door opened.

And a boy in all black walked in, apologized for being late, handed the teacher a slip, and sat down across the room from Max, his eyes not leaving the teacher's.

_Fang._

She looked at the seat beside her—empty. That was his seat. And there he was, sitting next to Lissa, and Max's heart squeezed a little.

_I don't like Fang_, she reminded herself.

Lissa spoke slowly to Fang, and he nodded at her with a Fang smile. _Did she _ . . . ?

And that's when Max's mind slipped into dreamland again. Why was she jealous? She shouldn't be jealous, she didn't like Fang. Why would she be jealous?

"Max," said the teacher, and she looked up. "Would you stop zoning out, for heaven's sake?"

Max's cheeks flushed. "S-Sorry," she muttered, looking down at the paper in front of her.

"Speak to me after class," said the teacher tersely, and Max mentally groaned.

And, of course, that class had to go the fastest a class had ever gone.

Max took her books and shoved past Fang and Lissa, stopping at the teacher's desk. "Yes?" she asked quietly.

The teacher looked up. "What has gotten into you lately?" she asked. "Is something on your mind?"

"The shooting," was all that Max said, and her teacher's mouth formed into an _o._

Her teacher nodded. "You may go," she said tersely with a wave of her hand, and Max sped the hell out of there.

Iggy was waiting for her outside the door. "You in trouble?" he asked quietly.

"Nah, she just wanted to know what was wrong," Max replied, walking alongside her friend down the hall. "Nothing much."

"You should be worried," said Iggy lowly, and his sightless eyes glanced around to see if anyone was there. "Lissa asked Fang out."

"He said yes, I assume," said Max, irritated. The hallway ended and they took a sharp turn right.

"No, he ran with the unicorns," said Iggy sarcastically. "He said yes."

"I told you." Max grumbled, entering her classroom with Iggy at her side.

Iggy set his books down. "This make you mad?" he asked.

"Me? Psh, nah."

Scoffing, Iggy said, "I'm _blind, _and I can tell that you're lying."

"I'm not lying! I don't like Fang in that way!" screamed Max, just as Fang and Lissa walked through the door.

"I heard my name," stated Fang quietly, putting his books down next to Lissa's.

"You heard wrong," Max corrected. "I was talking about, er, vampires."

"Yes, and how they'll bite out the hearts of people who date other people." Iggy bared his teeth in Max's direction, and she whapped him.

"Am I missing something?" asked Lissa cluelessly, looking between Iggy and Max. Fang narrowed his eyes.

"What? No. Why would you be missing something?" _A little too quick, Max._

Fang's narrowed eyes widened. "Are you two _dating_?" he demanded.

"No!" Iggy and Max yelled in unison; the teacher looked up from his desk.

"I'm, er—dating Dylan," Max announced; Lissa and Fang's eyes widened.

Iggy coughed. "You're _what?" _he yelled.

Max flashed a grin. "Very, _very _sudden," she added. "Anyways, I gotta go to the bathroom. Be back."

Thank _God _Dylan wasn't in there at the moment. Max caught him just before he entered the room.

"Er, I need help!" she said frantically. "Well, I came up with this random—and very random, mind you—idea that you and I—"

"How long have you and Max been dating!" Iggy yelled from behind her, and Dylan widened his eyes at Max.

"Go with it," she mouthed. Then she turned to Iggy. "He asked me out last night, over a text," Max responded.

"How didn't I know about this?" Lissa yelled, a smile plastered onto her face.

Max shrugged. "I didn't really care if people knew or not. I mean, they would have figured it out, but—"

She stopped at Fang's level gaze at her. "Stop staring at me!" she snapped, making everyone stare between the two.

"Er," said Dylan.

Sam and Nudge walked in next. "What's with the big circle, everyone?"

"Max and Dylan are dating, apparently!" Iggy blurted.

"Yeah, apparently," muttered Fang, just as Nudge's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

She turned to Dylan. "Congrats!" she exclaimed. "I knew you always liked her, ever since you told me, but I never thought that you'd actually ask her! And I thought she wouldn't say yes, but she really did! I'm so happy for you guys! I—oomph!" Nudge exclaimed, and when Sam removed his hand from his sister's mouth, she glared at him.

Max's cheeks heated, and when she looked over at Dylan's, his were flushed, too—he really liked her?

Then Dylan's turquoise orbs met hers, and a look of understanding passed between them.

_I'm sorry, _his eyes seemed to say.

_That's okay, _Max's said back.

Fang was looking between them. His mouth opened when the bell rang, and Fang spoke in Max's ear as she walked past. "Sit next to me at lunch."

* * *

**In case the first authour's note didn't clarify - more reviews, longer chapter! x**

**so press that little review button!**


	11. 11

**I know it's short, and I'm sorry! But this week has been hectic for me, and, hey, at least I'm updating every day!**

* * *

"So are you gonna sit next to him?" pressed Ella quietly.

Max sighed. "No, why would I? I'm just so confused about everything and . . . I already sit next to Iggy, and I'm sitting next to Dylan, so."

A sigh fell out of Ella's lips as well. "You're in deep shiz here, sister." the phone line crackled. "Crap. Max, I gotta go, Ange just puked—all over the carpet."

"Give her my love," suggested Max. "I should go, too—I've probably spent way to long of a bathroom break, anyway."

"Alright, Max. Bye!" cheered Ella, and the phone line cut.

Max sighed and put her phone back in her bag just as the bell rang for the end of class. Running, Max made it back to her class and gathered up her things.

The teacher, who happened to be her favourite, smiled at her and nodded.

"Iggy!" Max called, jogging to catch up with her friend. "Dude, wait up!"

The blonde boy up ahead turned around, his sightless blue eyes on Max. "Where were you?" he demanded.

Max shrugged. "I was talking to Ella in the bathroom."

"She's been in the bathroom this whole day!"

"No, stupid!" yelled Max, hitting Iggy's arm. "I called her. Angel's sick, and—,"

"And you needed sisterly advice about Fang," mused Iggy.

"How do you know all this?" Max demanded hotly.

Iggy shrugged and flipped his head, his hair shooting up out of his face. "I mean, just because Angel was sick wouldn't be the only reason you'd call Ells."

Their lockers slammed in unison; Max rolled her eyes and stated, "I'm rolling my eyes, Igtard."

"Don't call me Igtard!" he whined.

Max placed a finger on her chin. "Pyromaniac?" she suggested. "Iggy-the-Nutso? Igster?"

"None," scowled Iggy, entering the cafeteria with Max. "You getting lunch today?"

Max rolled her eyes. "Rolling my eyes, Ig."

" . . . I'll take that as a no, then."

"That's a very sarcastic, 'I'm not gonna get lunch so I can run with the unicorns'."

" . . . I'll take that as a no, then."

Max's stomach grumbled and Iggy narrowed his eyes straightforward.

"I'll give you my lunch," Iggy decided, walking into the lunch line.

"No, Iggy, I—"

But Iggy was already in the lunch line, chatting happily with Nudge and Sam. Max groaned and made her way to the middle floor of the cafeteria and sat down at her table, Dylan already on her left (home lunch).

"This is _insane," _Dylan said immediately, looking at Max. "Seriously, what the heck were you thinking?"

"It was a last minute over-the-edge decision!" exclaimed Max frantically, not even knowing what that meant. But it sounded good, so. "I'm sorry! I just got caught up in the moment, and—,"

She paused. "Wait. Nudge said something. That you—?"

A loud clatter reached Max's ears; Iggy sat on Max's right and handed her a tray of food, Nudge and Sam sitting on the other side of him. "Eat," ordered Iggy.

"I'm not—," Max started.

"Eat," ordered Iggy again, and reluctantly Max started eating.

Fang and Lissa joined the group next; they sat next to each other, opposite from Max, and she avoided Fang's steely gaze for all of lunch.

Dylan muttered in her ear, "God, we're in deep doo-doo," making Max smirk.

Five minutes before the bell rang, Max stood up to put her tray away. Someone was following her, and she knew it.

"You're coming with me," said a voice, a hand tugging on her wrist. "We gotta talk."

It was Fang.

* * *

**Cliff hanger, eh?**

**Well, that's all I can give you today, but tomorrow expect another chapter! :) -glares pointedly- _If _you review . . .**

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: FRIDAY (May 4) THROUGH TUESDAY (May 8) WILL BE VERY SMALL UPDATES, IF NOT ANY. I AM GOING ON VACATION AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL HAVE TIME TO UPDATE!**


	12. 12

**SORRY ABOUT NOT UPDATING YESTERDAY I WAS PACKING OH MY GOSH I FEEL SO ASHAMED.**

* * *

He stopped in an empty classroom and shut the door behind him. Max crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want?" she asked wearily, sighing.

"Are you avoiding me?"

"No, why would I be avoiding you?"

"I can think of many reasons."

"Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Max, putting all of her weight on one foot, making her look even sassier than she was. "'Cause I got a boyfriend to attend to."

"Don't rub it in my face," it sounded like Fang said. He looked up. "I mean, yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Good, 'cause I declared that we were done talking a few minutes ago. I don't—"

"Iggy told me," said Fang, interrupting Max.

"Told you what?"

"That you think I'm dating Lissa."

"Think? _Think? _What fresh hell is this?" Max's mouth fell straight open and her arms fell to her sides. "Dear God, aren't you dating her?"

Fang stared at Max, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry—Lissa? You think I'm dating Lissa? Hell, I don't like her! Why would I!"

"Er . . ." _This just got slightly more awkward_, Max thought. She looked at Fang. "Then what did Lissa ask you during—"

"She asked me if I was okay!" Fang said, exasperated. "Why would you think—what made you . . ."

Max's mouth went into overdrive. "Because this morning when you weren't here when we were getting on the bus Lissa told me that she was gonna ask you out and I just assumed because you sat by her and not me which worried me a little bit because I think I may kinda like you and I don't know what my feelings are and it's a little crazy because usually I'm super collected and I don't know what to do about you right now because I'm freaking out and—"

Her hands, upraised to start clenching her head, were locked in Fang's, pushed against his chest. Her mouth captured in his, their eyes closed, heads twisting this way and that to get closer.

_Oh, God,_ Max thought. _Fang's kissing me when I'm supposed to be dating Dylan, and . . . crap is gonna go _down_!_

When he pulled back and looked at her, his eyes searched hers for some kind of emotion, some kind of saying. She stared straight back, mouth still agape, hands still in Fang's, eyes searching his searching hers.

"I, er," she began oh-so-coherently, and then she ripped her hands from Fang's and said, "I gotta go."

Fang called after her, followed her, but got lost in the crowd of students flowing towards them. Max searched for Dylan.

"Dyl!" she called, her arm outstretched. The boy turned his turquoise eyes on her.

"Yes, Maxie-Pad?" he asked sweetly.

Max made a face. "Don't call me that," she said tersely. "Anyways, I have a little dilemma."

His mouth fell into a frown and he motioned for her to continue as they walked to his locker.

"Fang kinda . . . kissed me?" it came out more as a squeak than a statement; Dylan's cerulean eyes widened.

"Isn't he dating Lissa?"

"No! Apparently she just asked him if he was okay!" Max sighed and smacked her forehead. "God, this is confusing!"

Dylan rumbled in a deep voice, "That is your problem, Maximum Ride, not mine."

Max managed a grin and put her hand on his shoulder. "Dyl, thank you so much for going along with this, but—"

Were Dylan's eyes _sad? _"Yeah, Maxie, I get it," Dylan grinned. "Have fun with your _guy!"_

"Shut up!"

Someone pulled on Max's wrist and it was Lissa. Her eyes were wide. "Max, I don't know how to ask Fang out!"

Max put on a face. "I thought you did in math!"

"No, I asked him how he was! How do I ask a guy out? Isn't it usually the other way around? The guy asking the girl?"

Max shrugged. "Either way will do."

"But what do I say? 'Hey, Fang, you wanna go out with me'?"

Max sighed. "Well, you say something casual, right? Like . . . What kind of movies does he like? Find one that you both would have an interest in and ask him to it."

Lissa's frantic face split into a grin. "Thanks Max! You're a _lifesaver."_

And as Lissa skipped away, Max's mouth mentally formed into a smirk. A triumphant smirk. She'd never be this mean to Lissa to her face, but sometimes that girl really got on her nerves.

And when Lissa asked out Fang, he'd say no, because he told Max himself.

But the evens that followed afterward were . . . unspeakable.

"Nudge," said Max, calm-as-ever. "Dyl and I broke up."

Nudge spread the word fast, just as Max thought.

* * *

**FAX KISS TO MAKE UP FOR IT, JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS, LOL.**

**Well, that's all the updating I will do! See you guys next Wednesday! ;D**

**NICOLE HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEST BUDDY I LOVE YOU NO HOMO. . . lol.**


	13. 13

**I was supposed to update yesterday . . . but I didn't. I'm sorry.**

* * *

Max groaned; she was tired and cold and she was frustrated enough to just sit down on a corner and cry until she was shrivelled up and just withered to nothing.

That was _so _optimistic. It was just the rainbow to the sunshine, yes?

Sometimes, Max wished she would never stay up late texting—she'd always regret it in the morning. But sometimes—like last night—it was a huge crisis to figure out that really couldn't wait until morning. Because Fang was not a morning person.

Max took out her phone and checked her messages from last night:

**Fang**

_Max_

**We need to talk about . . . you know.**

_No, we don't._**  
**

**Max.**

_Fang._**  
**

**Just work with me here, Max. I'm not kidding, we have to talk. **

_My thumbs hurt._

**Been lifting too much rocks to eat?**

_Ha-ha. Real witty._**  
**

**Thank you. The ladies like it.**

_..._**  
**

**Can we talk about this?**

_I already said no._**  
**

**Which means yes.**

_In your language, maybe. Fang, I'm tired and I have a busy Saturday tomorrow. Can it wait?_**  
**

**Max, I want to know how you feel.**

_You know how I feel, dumbbutt._**  
**

**Not when you say it like that.**

_I will fall asleep on you._**  
**

**Please do. Then we can discuss this at school on Monday, after having a weekend of suspense.**

_Alright, tell you what. I'll tell you how I feel after you tell me how you feel._**  
**

**Max, you know how I feel. That's why I kissed you.**

_-sighs- Fine. But I don't know in words._**  
**

**I really like you. Like, a lot. **

_Is that it?_**  
**

**Yup.**

_Fine. I... Think I'm in love with you. I don't know._**  
**

_Fang?_

_Reply, please?_

_Nicolas Walker?_

_Come on, please?_

_... Fine. I'm going to bed, thanks for the useless sleep waster. Goodbye._

Max sighed—she'd really messed up. He probably wasn't expecting her to say something as serious as that, so he just . . . had a spaz attack. Or something. Attacked by wild, rabid bears that just happened to barge into his room.

No; she'd hear his screams.

It was Saturday, thank God—but somehow, Max couldn't find the relaxation to fall back asleep. It was like she'd just taken a dose of Ella—jumpy and excited and itching to run around screaming.

How did Ella live with that all the time!

Max shuffled downstairs, her eyes wide open. Ella was sitting next to Gazzy and Angel at the table; "Where's Mom?" Max asked.

"Early work call," said Ella. "Cereal this morning; she had to cancel our plans."

Well, so much for getting her mind off of Fang.

Max sat next to Angel and started eating, feeling very melancholy. She finished quickly and dumped the excess milk in the sink, collapsing on the couch. Suddenly her high energy had drained.

The doorbell rang; "I'll get it!" Max screamed, jumping over the couch. She jogged to the door, suspecting Iggy, and opened it.

_He _stood there.

"Hi." he said.

* * *

**Long-ish chapter! :)**

**Review, please!**


	14. 14

**Cliff, man! XD**

* * *

Max half-expected Fang to kiss her on the spot, he but didn't.

Instead, with his hands shoved in his pockets, he looked almost embarrassed, or shy—_so unlike Fang._

"What?" Max asked, folding her arms across her chest and shifting all her weight to one foot. She wasn't going to back down; she may be a coward when it came to lip-locking, but confronting was her best area.

One of his dark eyebrows rose. "I said 'hi'."

"No," said Max sarcastically, gaping. "I thought you said the most intelligent thing in the world about rainbows and unicorns."

Angel giggled from behind her.

"Think back," Fang urged quietly, his voice almost too low for Max to hear. "Social Studies, the first time you really talked to me."

_"Hi," she said lamely, looking down at her papers, legs crossed underneath the grey desk screen. Max flipped her papers once, twice, trying to ease the tension. Was Fang thinking that she was some stupid embarrassing girl? Nah, would he really think that of his brother's best friend?_

_Yes._

_But when she looked over at the dark boy, he was actually smiling. His eyes alight with amusement, his mouth fully turned up in a smile. A low chuckle was escaping his lips, and Max frowned at him._

_"What?" she demanded, feeling shocked, hurt, and angry. He did think she was stupid._

_His eyebrows rose at her. "One whole month I've been here," he said. "And finally, just finally, you say, 'hi'?"_

_Max shrugged. "My mother used to say that hi was such a short, simple word, but it was how lo—friendship started," she quickly recovered, trying not to blush. She'd almost said love._

_Apparently, Fang heard it too. "You almost said love," he accused._

_"Did not!" said Max hotly._

_"You said, and I quote, 'but it was how lo—friendship started'." Fang pointed out, smirking a little bit._

_Now he talks, and he's quite annoying. Max preferred it when he didn't speak at all. "You're annoying," she said, snorting._

_Then he leaned closer to her, and she felt his breath on hers. Fang's eyes searched hers for agonizing minutes before saying, "You almost said love."_

_She opened her mouth to say something, eyes probably blazing with annoyance, when the bell rang, and Fang was gone within the instant._

Max shook her head slightly, trying to shake of the memory. When she looked at Fang, his dark eyes were amused, his mouth curved into a smirk. "You're blushing," he noticed.

"Does it matter?" she snapped. Behind her, a plate clattered, and Max realized she had siblings in the room. "Can we . . . er, take this outside?" she asked quietly.

"Does it matter?" Fang mimicked, not dropping the smirk. But he did turn around, shove his hands back into his pockets, and walk towards the sidewalk, not even looking back to see if Max was following.

Max sighed as she shut the door behind her and jogged down the driveway to face Fang. "So?" she asked. "You wanted to talk. Actually, I want to know why you didn't reply to me last night and now you're just speaking to me like it never happened."

"I'm not trying to pretend anything, Max," replied Fang, his dark eyes scanning the shimmering lake. "I was . . . —"

A scowl traced her lips. "Oh, _don't _say that you were in shock, because that is the stupidest thing I've heard come out of a boy's mouth after a girl says something like I did."

"Max—"

"Don't you '_Max' _me! You know it's true, don't you?"

Fang faced her now, staring into her eyes. "Max," he said quietly. "Do you have any idea how much I really like you?"

Max grumbled, "Not very much, by the likes of last night."

"I took a freaking _bullet _for you, Max," continued Fang, as if she'd never said that. "I, as Iggy said, lived a part of Grenade." a snicker escaped his lips, as if he was amused at his brother's cheesy wit. "And, if you don't remember, you wanted me dead."

"I didn't want you dead," Max muttered. "I just wanted you . . . mauled by bears. Wild rabid bears."

Fang chuckled and reached over, taking Max's hand. "And you with Dylan . . ."

Max swallowed and looked away, feeling a little guilty about the lie. But Fang squeezed her hand and sighed.

"I'm not good at this kind of stuff, Max," Fang said.

Max rolled her eyes. "That makes two of us."

"I'm serious," he said, though when Max looked back she saw the side of his mouth quirked up in a smile. "And I want to know. Max, would you like to . . . go out with me?"

* * *

**HEY GUYS, GUESS WHAT!**

**IF YOU HAVEN'T GUESSED ALREADY . . . **

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**THAT'S THE END OF THE CHAPTER!**

**But I'll update tomorrow, I think. :) If you review.**


	15. 15

**... I leave it at way too many cliffs. Oh, well, it's fun that way.**

* * *

It was like the world had frozen over, except for just the two of them.

Fang's ebony eyes weren't on her, but on the lake in front of them. _He'd asked her out. _

"Max?" repeated Fang quietly. "Are you . . . alive?"

A smirk traced her lips and Fang retracted his hand from hers. "I'm here," she said. "Just . . . thinking."

"You don't have to say yes."

_But I want to. _"I . . . Yeah, sure. I'll go out with you." Max stepped back to look at Fang. His eyes were _now _on her. Some emotion was in them . . . hope? Excitement? Relief? Whatever it was, it made her grin. She felt so . . . _happy_. Fang could make her smile whatever occasion, usually. Unless she wanted him mauled by wild, rabid bears.

Fang was grinning at her, too. "Tonight? Seven?" he asked.

_Maybe Mom having an early work call and cancelling our plans was a good thing after all_. "Yeah. Where are we going?"

"Bowling?"

Max grinned wider, if possible. "I'll see you tonight, then."

Fang left her side, and she turned back to her own house, the violent wind whipping her hair around. She looked down and realized, with an embarrassed blush, that she'd been in her pyjamas when he asked her out. _How embarrassing_.

Ella was waiting at the door for Max, her arms folded over her chest. "So?" she asked. "How'd it go?"

"The last time we went bowling, was I good?" Max asked.

Ella squealed. "Date time! Ohmigosh!"

Eight hours of getting ready later, Max was ready to drop dead. She looked at herself in the mirror—Ella had straightened her hair, then curled it, then straightened it again for a neat wavy look. She'd given her blue jeans and black converse with a red sweatshirt. It looked almost dressy but then casual at the same time, also a chill-out outfit.

"Beautiful!" Ella squealed, clapping her hands together. "Come on, Fang should be here any minute now—"

The doorbell rang, and Max grinned sideways at Ella. "Date time?"

Ella nodded. "Date time."

When Max walked down the stairs, she saw Angel at the door talking to Fang. "I see you changed your black ensemble."

"With dark blue jeans," Fang looked down.

"Big difference," Max mused tersely, laughing. "Well, come on, let's go!"

Fang rolled his eyes. "Same Max, I see," he said sarcastically.

"Well, I could act like a complete priss and—"

"No, same Max is good!"

Max smirked. "Well, good." she said.

They got into Fang's (black) car and drove down the road to the bowling alley. "I'm warning you," Max said. "I suck."

"It's okay, I think I do, too. I've only been bowling, like, three times." Fang glanced sideways at Max for a terse second. "My dad never liked it."

Max laughed. "My dad used to take me all the time. Until . . . you know." she looked out the window.

They pulled to a stop in front of the run-down bowling alley, the most popular around. Fang stepped out and opened Max's door, grinning.

"Shall we?" Max asked, her face alight with excitement.

Fang rolled his eyes, but he, too, was grinning. "We shall," he said, and the pair of them walked into the alley.

* * *

**SORRY IT'S SHORT BUT I WANT THE DATE ON A SEPERATE CHAPTER**

**REVIEW**


	16. 16

**I'm sorry about the wait, guys. This is a really long A/N, and you can skip it if you like, but I just wanna rant.**

**This week has been really hectic for me. For one, I had an Africa locations test. That's fifty-three countries to place, plus ten physical features. _But _I did get a ninety-nine percent on it, so I'm happy!**

**Monday and today (Tuesday) were my first Mon. and Tues. back after vacation, and I still had stuff to make up. For example, a Social Studies packet. And a Science study guide-both I didn't have time for, and that really peeves me off. **

**Not to mention I have a giant project due tomorrow that I haven't even started AND I have a choir concert tomorrow. I have a solo, a descant group, AND I'm in the glee club. It's been really stressful-Monday I had to go early to school and tomorrow, I do, too. It's just been really hectic.**

**I've wanted to update, but school comes first. I know I left it on a cliff, and I'm really sorry. Plus, _eighteen reviews, guys! _Thank you! ..even though that's like the smallest amount..**

**_And _for you Korra fans out there... OH MY SPIRITS SATURDAY'S EPISODE. That was the most AMAZING thing I have EVER SEEN! So brilliant! So clever! So . . . Bryke! -dies-  
**

**-takes long breath- Okay, that's it. Feel free to ignore this A/N and read the chapter. :'D**

* * *

They walked inside the bowling ally, and Max breathed in. "I haven't been to one of these in a long time," she breathed slowly, looking around. "It reminds me of my dad."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Fang asked beside her, and she turned to look at him with a small grin on her face.

"It's good," she said, looking around. "Especially when my mother keeps nothing of my father in the house. She misses him too much and she doesn't want to know that he really isn't there—that's why I think she's usually at work all the time. Ella and I take slots as mom for Gazzy and Angel."

"Do you wish she'd be around so much more?"

Max shrugged. "It depends on her mood," she said quietly. "I mean, I wouldn't say she had depression. But sometimes she really acts like it. That's why I think it's great that she has Anne to talk to. And Sam and Nudge's mom."

Fang was quiet as they went to go grab their shoes; Max snuck a few looks at him to make sure he wasn't dead. But he was alive and breathing, and within the next ten minutes the two of them were set up at a bowling lane.

"Do you _remember _how to bowl?" Fang asked.

Max scowled at the smirking boy in front of her. "Of course I do, doofus. It's not like my brain was wiped of _anything _related to fun."

"Sometimes it seems like it," he muttered.

She narrowed her eyebrows. "_What _was that?" she demanded sharply.

Fang swung his arm back and forward, releasing his (black) ball onto the slippery lane; three of the pins struck down, leaving seven to remain. "Nothing," he said, and when Max looked, it seemed as if he were chuckling. Fang bowled again, and the ball fell into the gutter. "Your turn," he said.

"Well no _duh_," Max said sarcastically. She swung her arm back and forward, letting her fingers slip out from the red marble bowling ball and watching it spin down the slick lane. It hit the pin straight in front and left two pins—the two end ones.

Fang clapped from behind her. "Brilliant," he said. "A split. Let's see you deal with this one, Maxie."

"Don't call me that," Max growled, and she grabbed a blue-and-green striped bowling ball from the little thingy—what was it called? Max didn't know—in the centre between the lanes that held the bowling balls and spit them out.

She pulled her arm back as she walked back to the lane, pushed her arm forward, released the ball, and watched it with interest as it spun towards the two pins, watching it curve towards the left and go backwards—

A loud popping noise filled her ears, and Max gaped at what happened. The _left pin _shot towards the right pin and knocked it down _flat_.

"Guess I still got a little skill," Max mused, but she couldn't help but grin.

"I thought you said you sucked!" Fang protested.

"Aww, is Fangles jealous?"

". . . No."

_"You take your hands like this, and pull them back." Jeb walked behind Max and placed his arms around hers. "See, Maxie? You just pull your arms back and—" he swung his daughter's arm back and then swung it forward. He squeezed her hand to make her let go of the ball and it went reeling down the aisle._

Max laughed and looked over at Fang. "Okay, then. Let's see you do better, Fangles."

_"Daddy, I did it!" Max cried, a huge grin on her face. The seven-year-old pushed the hair out of her face. "I did it! I bowled!"_

Fang smirked at Max and grabbed the black bowling ball. "I can do better," he said proudly. "You just watch."

_"You did do it, sweetheart," Jeb complimented his daughter as he walked over to grab his own bowling ball. "Watch Daddy do it, see?"_

Max crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the railing of the stairs. Fang was good at bowling, she had to admit, but she could be better if she wanted to. A sigh reached her lips—the last time she'd been at a bowling alley, it was a week before her father died.

_"Wow," breathed Max as her father knocked all the pins down. "Daddy, that's amazing! How do you get to be that good?"_

"Max?" Fang waved a hand in front of her face. "Are you okay? You, like, zoned out."

_"Practice, Maxie." Jeb winked. "Someday, I'll take you here and teach you how to bowl like I do."_

"No, I'm fine. Sorry."

_Max waited day after day. He'd always promised to take her, but never did. Not alone, anyways. Ella would always tag along or Mom would or even baby Angel; Max finally gave up hope in wanting to go to the bowling alley with her father_.

"It's your turn," said Fang. "Just a few more turns and then we can leave, if you'd like."

_Finally, nine years later, Jeb took Max—and just Max—to the bowling alley with him. He grinned. "Ready for the start of lessons?" he asked._

Max shrugged. "I don't really care whether we stay or go," she said, grabbing her bowling ball and striking down each pin with ease.

_Max's face lit up. "Really?" she asked. "You're serious?"_

A few more frames later, the pair of them were in Fang's car again. "That was really fun," said Fang.

_"Of course I am, sweetheart." _

"Yeah, it was." Max looked out the window. It felt great to be in the open air—but she missed her father and the bowling alley brought back memories.

_He died a week later before they could even go to another 'lesson'. _

They stopped in front of Max's house and the pair of them stepped out of the car. Fang stopped at her door and shoved his hands in his pockets—the most awkward part of a date for everyone.

"Thank you." Max suddenly said, and when she felt his eyes on her she turned away. "For everything, Fang."

Fang stepped a little bit closer, and Max could smell his cologne. "You're welcome," he said, and kissed her.

* * *

**END OF CHAPTER. :)**

**Guys, I'm gonna end this story soon. I think next chapter might be an epilogue when maybe their daughter meets a boy that she likes and she says the same thing that Max did to Fang, or something. Because I don't want this to have more than twenty chapters, and this is already sixteen, so.**

**Well, long chapter for the make-up! I hope you liked it, and yes, the italics were a flashback. They weren't typos, obviously, because Jeb was there and now he's . . . well, dead. :p**

**Review, please! They warm my heart! Oh, and do me a favour: if you're a Korra fan, please check out my one-shot! Thanks guys! x.  
**


	17. 17—Epilogue

**I did warn you guys. This is the last chapter of _Hi_, and I really hate to see it go. But I don't want it to be more than this many chapters, really. I know some of you want it to be twenty chapters, but that's too much for me; I really want it to be at seventeen chapters. I like it that way.**

**Well, this is the epilogue, just like I said. It's about Max and Fang's little girl, and . . . well, you get the idea. If you don't . . . well, I'd facepalm for you, but I have glasses on. ;_;**

* * *

She walked through the hallways quietly, her head twisting this way and that to take in the surroundings. Her parents had gone to this school—they'd met at this school, kissed at this school, fell in love at this school. A cheesy high-school love story, that's what it was. But Uncle Iggy and Aunt Ella had always said it was meant to be; and they married, too.

It seemed as if the world was moving in slow motion, almost. The girl looked around from left and right, trying to figure out familiar faces.

She looked ahead too late—a boy with blonde messy hair and clear blue eyes. He crashed into her right as she suspected—and the pair of them went tumbling down, down onto the floor.

"Ow!" she yelped as her ankle twisted the wrong way. She bit back a curse as she smashed into the floor. The boy with the clear oceanic eyes looked at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz, my brothers were right—"

"No, it's my fault," said she. "I got it from my parents." they gathered their things and she grinned at him. "What's your name?"

"Jason," he said, almost shyly, like he didn't like the name. "Jason Grace."

The girl laughed. "I like that name," she said. "I'm Emily Ride. My dad's last name is Walker, but my mom let me choose and I liked Ride better."

Jason grinned at her. "I like that name, too," he said, a small smile etched onto his face. "Say, what do you have first period?"

"Uh . . . Social Studies, I think."

"No way, I do, too!"

Emily laughed. "That's just insane. I'll see you in there, then, yeah?"

When Emily got to her class, books in hand, she saw Jason sitting in the same seat her father was in the class picture. Emily sat down right next to him, right where her mom was, and said, shyly, looking down at her papers, "Hi."

He grinned at her, no fear in his eyes (it was more of a guy thing), and said right back, "Hi."

_"Hi," she said lamely, looking down at her papers, legs crossed underneath the grey desk screen. Max flipped her papers once, twice, trying to ease the tension. Was Fang thinking that she was some stupid embarrassing girl? Nah, would he really think that of his brother's best friend?_

_Yes._

_But when she looked over at the dark boy, he was actually smiling. His eyes alight with amusement, his mouth fully turned up in a smile. A low chuckle was escaping his lips, and Max frowned at him._

_"What?" she demanded, feeling shocked, hurt, and angry. He did think she was stupid._

_His eyebrows rose at her. "One whole month I've been here," he said. "And finally, just finally, you say, 'hi'?"_

_Max shrugged. "My mother used to say that hi was such a short, simple word, but it was how lo—friendship started," she quickly recovered, trying not to blush. She'd almost said love._

_Apparently, Fang heard it too. "You almost said love," he accused._

_"Did not!" said Max hotly._

_"You said, and I quote, 'but it was how lo—friendship started'." Fang pointed out, smirking a little bit._

_Now he talks, and he's quite annoying. Max preferred it when he didn't speak at all. "You're annoying," she said, snorting._

_Then he leaned closer to her, and she felt his breath on hers. Fang's eyes searched hers for agonizing minutes before saying, "You almost said love."_

_She opened her mouth to say something, eyes probably blazing with annoyance, when the bell rang, and Fang was gone within the instant._

* * *

**D'aw, I just love happy endings. :')**

**Well, I'm sorry that it's over, and I'm so glad almost all of you stuck in from the start. I hope you guys re-read this over and over, because this is probably the last Maximum Ride story I will ever write. I'm sorry, but I just don't like it anymore..**

**#intokorra**

**Well, you can go check out _Moments__; _it's a Fax one-shot. It's pretty good in my opinion, but that's just me. I mean, I'm the authour, so of course I'd say that about my own stories.**

**#notreallyIsuck**

**Sorry, I just really love hash-tags right now.**

**Well, please review! I'm so sad this is over, but I know you guys all loved it and I really hope you loved this chapter, too! Reviews mean the world to me!**

**Over-used word of the day: _Well_.**


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